Card selecting machine



Jime 6, 1939. J; T w so 2,161,649

CARD SELECTI'NG MACHINE Original Filed July 3, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. L

INVEN TOR.

June 6, 1939. J, w soN 2,161,649-

CARD SELECTING MACHINE Original Filed July 3, 1937 '6 S etsheet 2 78 3 FIG. 2.

IIIH LILIIIILILI mum CARD SELECTING MACHINE Original Filed July 3, 1937 6 Shaw-Sheet 3 FIG. 4.

all;4m niyaanw e7 011134t1a o y l I I I! an L' u INVENTOR.

June 6, 1939.

J. T. WILSON CARD SELECTING MACHINE Original Filed July 3, 1937 6 sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. Z

IgfNTOR,

' A 5 RNEYS.

June 6, 1939. Ht-SON 2,161,649

CARD SELECTING MACHINE Original Filed July 3, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 78.

June 6, 1939 J T w s 2,161,649

CARD SELECTING MACHINE Original Filed July 5, 1937 6'$heets$heet 6 ucLb, k

Patented June 6; 1939 PATENT OFFICE" Joseph T. Wilson, Pitman, N. J., assig'nor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York.

Original application July 3, 1937, Serial No. 151,861. ,Divided and this application October 27, 1937, SerialNo. 171,190

7 Claims. 4 (cl. 101-2) This application is a divisional case of an application filed July 3, 1937, Serial No. 151,861.

This invention relates to tabulating machines and more particularly to the type in which cards I representing group control numbers control operations of the machine and which is provided with a printing mechanism for printing the items relating to an account.

Tabulating machines are, as is'well known, conl0 trolled by tabulatin'g cards carrying designations t representing the items of an account and each account is identified by group control number designations. It is further desirable to print on H a related ledger card the items of the account and it to this end it has, heretofore, been proposed to pass the tabulating cards through the machine in successive groups and for each group pass a classifled ledger card, as is disclosed in the patent to If. M. Carroll No. 1,978;893,dated October 30, 1934.

ledger card ied' corresponds to the group control number of the tabulating cards bearing the items which are to be printed on ,the ledger card.

The present construction obviates the requisites pointed. out above and contemplates as the main object of the invention the provision of a card ,flllng machine with a selecting mechanism therefor and which is controlled by the tabulating machine. The passage of a card representing a new 0 group control number causes the automatic selec-,

- tion of a'ledger card which is correlated with the group control: number of the tabulating cards.

A still further object of the invention is to cause the shift of the selected ledger'card out of normal relation. with the other ledger cards in the flle so that such shifted position indicates that it isthe selected ledger card, andwhich can be pulled manually from the file and pre- *sented'to the printing mechanism of the tabulatins machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a separate and independently controlled ledger card. selecting machine which may; be

operated in accordance with its usual manual controL-or which manual control maybe placed under automatic control of the tabulating machine.

In said drawings:

.Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation disclosing an interconnected tabulating machine and a ledger card selecting machine whereby the operation-oi the tabulating machine selects ledger cards from the file. I

Fig. 2 is 'a view in section showing a well known form of printing mechanism adapted for use in a tabulating machine.

' Fig. 3 is an end view of the ledger card filing and selecting machine.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ledger card filing and selecting machine.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the ledger card filing and selecting machine.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the printing mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a diagram showing the timing of cam controlled electrical contacts involved in the present invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 taken together with Fig. 8 at the top illustrate the electrical wiring diagram of both the 'tabulating and ledger card selecting machines.

For further explanation of details of cone struction and operation of the tabulating machine .to which the present improvements are applied, reference should be had to the patent to C.-D. Lake et al. No. 1,976,617, dated October 9, 1934.

In tabulating machines or this class, as more particularly explained in the aforementioned patent, it is customary to send the machine through a reset cycle of operation to set up the this relay will, therefore, be closed and contacts 381': open.

Starting circuit.The machine is now ready to start card feeding operations after cards have been placedin the feed magazine usually provided for in tabulating machines. :Depression of a circuit as .liollows: from line 34, cam contacts P--l, tabulating clutch magnet 2-2, contacts 21,

start relay 39, start key contacts ST, stop key contacts SP, contacts 38a (now closed), to line 35.

Energization of magnet 22 will cause opening of contacts 21 and the circuit will now include relay "the start key to close'contacts ST will complete magnet 40 which is wired in parallel with the contacts 21. to complete a circuit through the tabulating motor as follows: from line 34, motor TM, contacts 40a, wire 3|, to line 35, thus initiating the operation of the motor. erated through a portion of the cycle, cam contacts LI close momentarily and complete a circuit from the line 34, wire 43, relay magnet 42, contacts L-I, wire 44, contacts 461: and wire 3| to line 35.

The consequent closure of contacts 42a will set up a holding circuit for the magnet 42, traceable from line 34, wire 43, magnet 42, contacts 42a, wire 44, contacts 40a, wire 3| to line 35. Energization of the start relay magnet 39 will effect closure of its contacts 390. to set up a holding circuit for the card feed. clutch magnet 22 traceable from the line 34, cam contacts P--I, magnet 22, relay 40, magnet 39, contacts 39a, wire 45, cam contacts L-2, to line 35. Toward theend of this cycle, cam contacts L2, break and the machine will coast through the remainder of the cycle to home position, which is, as commonly tioned patent, do'one of two things: if the automatic resetting switch 46 is open, the machine will stop; if the automatic resetting switch 46 is closed, the machine .will automatically enter upon a resetting cycle of operation.

It has thus been explained that the initiation of operations of the machine require first a resetting operation followed by two successive, manually initiated, tabulating cycles followed by a resetting cycle which may be automatically initiated. At this point, the first card is in readiness to pass and be analyzed by the lower brushes LB and the second card is in readiness to pass and be analyzed by the upper brushes UB and the automatic control mechanism is in readiness to compare the classification data of the cards as they pass through the machine.

Following the reset cycle just explained, the machine will, if automatic start switch 53 is closed, automatically enter upon card feeding and analyzing operations immediately upon completion-of the last resetting cycle. This is brought about in the following manner: Lower card lever relay contacts LCLa, by a circuit to be presently explained, have been closed due to the arrival of the first card at the lower brushes LB and during the reset cycle cam contacts P-2 close momentarily at the end of the cycle thereby establishing a circuit from the line 35, contacts 38a, contacts SP, LCLa and- P2, switch 53, start relay magnet 39', contact 21, tabulating clutch magnet 22, con tacts PI, to line 34. The energization of magnet 22 will, as explained above, cause the machine to enter upon atabulating cycle of operation during which the record cards are successively analyzed and data thereon? printed by the printing'niech anism. Closure of lower card lever contacts 59 completes a circuit from line 35, contacts 59, wire 54 leading (as shown in Fig. 9) to relay magnet LCL, wire 51, to line 34 to efiect closure of contacts LCLb and the closure of contacts LCL; (Fig. 8) mentioned above. Closure Of c t ts Magnet 40 will close its contacts 40a- After the motor has op- LCLb will complete a holding circuit for relay LCL through cam contacts L-6. This circuit is from line 35, contacts L--6, contacts LCLb, magnet LCL, wire 51, to line 34. As long as record cards continue to pass the lower brushes LB magnet LCL will remain continuously energized since contacts L'6 are timed to be closed during the interval that the card lever contacts 59 open.

The upper card lever contacts 58 (Fig. 9 at the top and extreme right) similarly complete a cir cuit from the line 35, contacts 58, magnet UCL, wire 51, to line 34. Closure of contacts UCLr sets up a holding circuit through cam contacts L5 whose function and timing are the same as that of contacts L6.

In certain forms of accounting practice it is desirable to determine when group control numberschange so that a ledger card I60 (Fig. 5) can be selected out of a file and presented to the printing mechanism to receive the items pertaining to the group which has the same group number as the file number of the ledger card. Prior to explaining the mechanism for causing the selection of the ledger cards there will be explained the operation of the printing mechanism which prints the items on the ledger cards.-

As is well known printing upon the ledger card is performed by a printing mechanism under control of the brushes LB which are suitably plugged to control the printer control magnets.

Printing mechanism.The printing mechanism employed in carrying out the present invention herein in order to understand'in a general way the manner of the operation of the printing mechanism, but for further details, reference to the aforementioned patent should be had.

In Fig. 2, reference character I65 designates as in said patent the listing shaftof the machine which is driven by the tabulating motor TM (Fig. 1) when the machine is adjusted to perform listing operations. To the shaft I65 there is secured a listing box cam 6I The cam slot in the box cam is adapted to cooperate with a roller 62. The printing crosshead 63 is mounted for verti-. cal reciprocation on guide rods 64 and is connected by links 65 to arms 66 whch are secured to a shaft 61. Shaft 61 has secured thereto a double arm member 68, one arm of which has a mechanical cooperation with a cam follower arm 69 which carries the roller 62. By virtue of this construction, it is apparent that rotation of shaft I65 will reciprocate the crosshead 63 and thereby reciprocate type bars 10 which are carried at the upper ends of type carrying bars H. The type carrying bars 1| are slidably mounted in the crosshead 63. "Their lower ends abut the free ends of arms 12 pivoted at 13 to the crosshead 63 and held in the position shown by springs 14. Thus upward'movement of the crosshead 63 will be accompanied by movement in the same direction of the type bars 10 which are slidable horizontally in the type carrying bar H. The

type carrying bars 1 I are provided with a plural ity of ratchet teeth v16 which cooperate with stopping pawls 11 so that the type bars may be interrupted at various positions to present any of their type elements to the printing plate 18 for printing upon the ledger card I60 presented in cooperation therewith.

By virtue of the spring connection 14 the type carrying bars 1| may be interrupted without in-.

terfering with the upward movement of the crosshead 63 which has an invariable extent of restopping pawl I1 is normally held in an inoperative position by a spring-pressed pivoted latch 19 whose lower end is connected by arod 88 to a bell crank 8| which is pivoted at 82' and whose arm constitutes the armature of a printing mag net 83. Energization of magnet 83 will rock bell crank member 82 in a counterclockwise direction, drawing rod 88 toward the right to unlatch the pawl 11 so that it may swing into engagement with teeth I6 and interrupt the further movement of the type bar II. The energization of each of the magnets 83 (Fig. 8) is controlled by the related one of the lower brushesLB which, upon sensing the perforation in the tabulating card will complete the circuit to the magnet 83 and,-due to the synchronization of the type bar travel with the passage of the card by the brushes, will present to printing position the type element corresponding to the controlling perforation.

By means of plug connections 85 (Fig. 8) the LBbrushes of certain columns are shown by way of example as plug connected to correlated printing control magnets "of one of the printing banks. a

Printing hammers.--The printing hammers 24 which are adapted to strike the ends of the type elements I8 to press them against a suitable inking ribbon and a ledger card I88 surrounding the platen 18, are of a type well known in the art and fully described in the aforementioned patent. It is only necessary for an understanding of the operation of the printing mechanism to know that after all the type carrying bars II have been differentially displaced and held in their differential positions the hammers 24- are released for operation to eifect the desired printing impression.

Automatic control mechanism.-The automatic control device-described in detail in the aforementioned patent is employed in connection with i the present improvement to determine whether a pair of record cards analyzed concurrently during the same tabulating machine cycle is identical with respect to their group control numbers. This mechanism will now be explained in detail.

A number of double wound relay magnets are provided, each having a pick-up winding 88 and a holding winding 89. windings 88 terminate in plug sockets 98 and 9I by means of which the pick-up windings may be plug'connected in series with the upper brushes UB and the lower brushes LB. Since the index point positions of the card passingthe lower brushes LB are analyzed concurrently with the analysis of the corresponding index point positions of the following card passing the upper brushes UB, perforations occurring in corresponding index positions of both cards will complete a circuit to the pick-up windirg 88 at a time in thecycle of the operation of the machine corresponding to the location of theperforation.

Control pick-up circuit-Idview of the fact that a single double-wound-relay magnet is provided for each card column, the pick-up circuit for only one column will be described, it being assumed that brushes UB-and LB locate corresponding perforations of a pair of records at the same time. This circuit is traceable as follows: from line 34, camcontacts L.I I, wire 9!,upper brush conta'ct roller 93, one of the upper brushes UB l contactingwith the roller through a perforation in the record, plug socket 94; plug connection--95fsocket 98, winding 88, socket 9I, plug connection, socket 91a, to the brush LB of the 'ciprocation controlled by the listing The a corresponding column, through the perforation in the record at the lower brushes, lower brush contact roller 98, circuit breaking devices 99, lower card lever contacts 59-, to the line side 35.

Control holding circuit-The control holding circuit for a single order will now be explained. Energization of the winding 88 will close its contacts 88a and 88b, the former setting up a holding circuit for the winding 89 which is traceable as follows; from the line 34, wire I82, cam contacts L-I2, contacts 88a (now closed), winding 89, wire I83 to the line side 35. Contacts LI2 hold the windings 89 energized until the end of the cycle and until the mechanism has performed its controlling function. It is thus apparent that the windings 88 are differentially energized in ac- .cordance with the value of the controlling perforation and that the windings 89 hold all the stick circuits to keep the contacts 8817 closed in all orders in which agreement occurred between the cards.

Since two card columns are assumed to be devoted to represent group numbers only two of the six double-wound relay magnets 8889 are shown plug connected to the corresponding card columns of both the upper brushes UB and the lower brushes LB in the wiring diagram in Fig. 8. Obviously, if there is an agreement in all card columns, the two sets of contacts 88b will be closed after all the index point positions have Manual reset cycle To effect the initial reset cycle previously mentioned the reset key controlled contacts R (Fig. 8) are closed to complete a circuit from the line 35, contacts Ir-2 now closed, wire 45, contacts 39b, contacts R, wire 41, a. relay magnet 48, contacts P3 to line 34.

The closure of contacts 48a-will set up a holding circuit for magnet 48 from the line 34, contacts P-3, magnet 48, contacts 48a, to line 35. A circuit is also completed from line 35, contacts 48a, contacts L-4, now closed, reset clutch ma net 91, contacts 840, contacts P-3 to line 34. This will permit a completion of the circuit through the reset motor RM from the line 34, motor RM, magnet 58, wire 5|, contacts 81, wire 52 to line 35. The motor RM will thereupon operate to drive the resetting mechanism for a} cycle of operation during which contacts P4 close to short circuit the contacts 8'! and maintain the circuit through motor RM- and shortly thereafter cult extending from line 34 (Fig. 9), magnet 84,

relay contacts 380, relay contacts 48b, cam contacts P-9, wire 54, card lever contacts 59 to line 35; The contacts 38a are controlled by the motor control magnet 38 and are opened when magnet 38 is deenergized due to a'change in group control number in a 'manner to be explained.

Magnet 38 is normally held energizedthrough a circuit setup during the initial'reset cycle of the' machine. During this cycle cam contacts P1, P8 (Fig. 8) close at the same time. The circuit will becompleted from theline 34, contacts P-I,

switch I5,contacts P8, control relay magnet I6 to line 35.

I03, and to line 35.

I6, magnet I1, wire I8, motor control relay magnet 38, wire I9, cam contacts L-I0, L9., wire I03 to the right side of line 35. Relay magnet I6 closes its relay contacts I6a to establish a holding circuit from the line 34, contacts IBa, magnet This circuit remains closed as long as the group control numbers on the card do not change, it now being obvious that relay magnet 38 remains energized until thechange in group control number occurs.

During the listing cycles the relay contact 88b provide a shunt circuit around cam contacts L-I0 and L9. For example, this shunt circuit comprises all the five relay contacts 88b used for controlling and short circuits both contacts LI0 and L9 the short circuit extending from the lower blade of contacts LI0 serially through the five selected contacts 88b in accordance with the example selected, plug connection I2I, plug.

socket H5, relay contacts UCLe'WhiCh are closed while cards are passing the upper brushes to wire Thus if at the time contacts IP-S and L-I0 open and the control relays have registered agreement between thetwo cards analyzed, the holding circuit will be sustained through the contacts 88b. If at such time any of the contacts 881) had failed to close, the holding circuit would have failed to remain closed and the control relay magnets I6 and I! would also have been deenergized as well as the motor control relay 38 causing the stoppage of the machine for a subsequent manually controlled total taking and reset operation.

Analyzing of designations for ledger card selection Certain card columns of the tabulatlng card are appropriated for receiving designations or causing the selection of the ledger cards and these designations may be the same asthe designations representing the group number. group control number may correspond with the ledger' card number. If so desired, the upper brushes UB analyzing the group control designations may be plugged by plug connections .to sockets 94 to control ledger card selection but as shown in Fig. 9 certain other of thebrushes UB are shown for convenience as having plug connections I25 to sockets I26.

As best shown in Fig. 8, the circuit to the upper brushes UB extends from the-line side 34, through cam contacts LII to wire 92, to the contact roller 93. and as shown in Fig. 9, for the contact roller 93 therein the circuit then extends by the brushes analyzing the designations for ledger card selection to the plugconnections I 25 to sockets I26. cuit is completed to a selected relay magnet I21 through an emitter Em. There are three emittcrs Em one for the units order, one for the tens .and onefor the hundreds order and the rotating I21 when energized closes its stick relay contacts I2Ia,'-said stick contacts for each order having a common wire connection I28 to cam contacts 'That is the From each socket I26 the c1r-- L-34 which are connected by a wire I30 to the line side 34.

As best shown in Fig. 9 the selected relay magnet I2I will close its relay contacts I2Ib thereby completing at this point a circuit to a ledger card selecting magnet, numeral I 30 designating those of the units order, I3I of the tens order and I32 of the hundreds order. All of these sets of magnets have a common wire connection I33 to the line side 34 and the sets of relay contacts I2'Ib have a common wire connection I34 to relay contacts I35a, which are connected to the line side 35. While each card passing the upper brushes causes the energization of the selected relay magnets I2I, the energization of the ledger card selecting magnets I30, I3I and I32 is dependent 'upon the closure of relay contacts I35a, and the time that the magnet I35 will be energized to close these relay contacts I351: will now be explained. The circuit for magnet I35 is shown at the top of Fig. 9 and extends from the line side 34, through-a switch I36, to magnet I35, through relay contacts 38g, card lever contacts UCLm, cam contacts L32 and by a wire I31 to the line side 35.

During the initial and each reset operation the magnet 38 will be energized to open the relay contacts 38g so as to open the circuit to the magnet I35 at this point. During the first card feeding cycle the relay magnet 38 will not be energized so that relay contacts 38g will be closed at the time cam contacts -L32 close. However, the upper card lever contacts 58 close after cam contacts I1 -32 open so that while card lever contacts UCLm have closed, contacts L-32 have previously opened. Thereafter cards are presented to both the upper and lower sets of brushes, each card passing the lower brushes causing the printing of the items represented by the cards on the ledger card previouslypresented to the platen. At, some time a card having a difierent group control number will be presented to the upper brushes and the auto control mech-' according to the relay contacts I 21]? previously,

closed.

The manner in which the ledger selecting magnets cause theselection of the desired ledger card wilh nowbe explained.

Ledger card selecting machine The ledger card selecting machine adapted to be employed in connection with the present invention is preferably of the type shown in the patents to J. W. Whitson Nos. 2,002,807 and 2,002,808 and-is disclosed in Figs. 1 (at 'the'bot .tom) and in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the last three mentioned figures beingsubstantiai copies of Figs. 6, 2 and 3, respectively, of Patent No. 2,002,808.

Since this machine is fully disclosed in the Patent No. 2,002,808 it is only generally described herein but in sumcient detail to'understand its cooperation with and control by the tabulating machine.

The machine illustrated in the patent com- 5 on its top edge at respectively opposite sides thereof, the upper edges forming the bottom supporting surface of the compartment I42 so that the bottom edges of the ledger cards I60 at opposite ends rest upon the shoulders I46. A plurality of holders I41 are arranged laterally across.the casing I4I between the front, center, and rear ends thereof and each is provided with a series of slots I48 (Fig. 4:)v cut down from the upper' edge thereof and I extending across the entire length of said cross members. The slots I48 in all the holders I41 are in alignment with each other. The lower edge of 'each of the holders I41 is turned up in a U-section so that the edge I48 isbent upwardly to be on a plane substantially flush with the bottom of slots I48.

A selector bar I50 is confined in each of the slots I48 in each of the cross members I41, each of said selector bars I50 extending from a point rearwardly of the rearmost holder I41 to a point forward of the foremost holder I41. The upper edge of each of the selector bars I50 lies substantially flush with the upper edge of the holder I41. Each of the selector bars I50 has inclined 'slots -I5I formed therein through which rods I52 the selector bars I50 beyond the fulcrum bar I56. Thus when any one of the finger keys I53 is depressed, the opposite end of the) key lever is moved upwardly causing a corresponding upward and forward movement of the related selector bar l50 within the limits of movement prescribed by the inclined slots I5I and cross rods I52. Each lever I55 on opposite sides of the pivotal, axis I 56 is confined in the respective guide members I51and I58 which are substantially the same as holders I41 but in the inverted position, to eliminate lateral play of said levers during movement thereof.

The ledger cards I60 areprovmed with a plurality of spaced lugs or abutments I58 (Fig. 5) along the bottom edge thereof, the spaces between the plurality of lugs corresponding to the number of selector bars I50. Each one of the lugs or thespace between any pair of lugs may represent or be designated by any of the numbers or by any otheremblems or indicia to suit the particular conditions of work of the card. The lugs -or spaces on the bottom of the card are related to the finger keys on the machine whereby each key on the keyboard when depressed will always move its selector bar into a space on the bottom of the card having a symbol corresponding with that on the key. Fig. 5 shows a card I" after some of the lugs I50 have been removed. The card can be made of magnetically attractive material orasshown in Fig. 5, light spring-steel pieces I6I maybe attached to 'the card edge in some conventional manner. The cards must be magnetically attractable material may either be inthe card or attached thereto;

Operation- .1; In order the we is. s

responsive to magnetic attraction and suitable.

to be selected from a group of cards confined in the card compartment, the tabulating machine will cause certain levers I55 to be depressed corresponding to thename, number, or title or other "key data which will distinguish that particular card from other cards.

The card I60 from which certain of the lugs have been cut, as shown in Fig. 5, is in the card compartment I42. In order to select the card shown in Fig. 5 with the cut-out portions there'- of from the stack of cards, all of the cards in the holder have at the start the left marginal edges thereof in alignment. This would be 'done manually by forcing the cards against the side wall I62 (Fig. 5) :of the casing I42.

An electromaghet I63 of any suitable form, size and type is arranged lengthwise of the casing I along the side thereof opposite the adjustable wall I62. The magnet extends the'full length of the casing I 4|. By means explained in Patin the desired position relative to the side of the card compartment. The side of the magnet facing the edges of the ledger cards stacked in the card compartment is inclined at an angle to said cards whereby when any ledger card orledger cards are attracted to the magnet, said card is caused to move horizontally and then upwardly on an are as it is withdrawn from the stack of ledger cards, as shown by dotted lines in- Fig. 5. The angle of inclination of the magnet relative to the card edges may be ad- Justed at will through the instrumentality of means fully explained in Patent No. 2,002,808.

In order to attract the card with the cut-out portions shown in Fig. 5 from the stack of cards, the tabulating machine causes certain levers I55 to be rocked and corresponding to the symbols represented by the cut-out portions on said card.

The levers I55 when rocked, force the selector bars I50 upwardly intothe cut-out spaces between the lugs on said card. The selector bars would also assume a position in the spaces be- .tween the lugs on all other cm'ds in the stack which either have or do not "have cut-out porcard can move laterally relative to the selector bars extended between the lug spaces thereon.

After the desired selector bars have engaged with ent No. 2,002,808 the magnet I63 is maintained the aforesaid selectorspaces on the fbottom of the cards the tabulating machine operates means "to close a circuit from a source of electricity to the magnet .I6Lto energize the magnet with elec--- tricity and "to thereby magnetically attract toward the magnet one or more selectedcards. when the cards I86 are in the card compartment in the position to be selectably attracted to the magnet. the opposite edges of said cards are supported on the shoulders I46 (Fig. '5) in the bottom of the card compartment and hence are free to move laterally with a minimum of re-' sistance. Afterthe selected cards have been at tracted to the magnet I88 the operator would withdraw said selected cards from the stack of cards. Means is then operated to return the selector bars I" to a position in readiness for levers I55 to be reversely rocked to the operating position.

Referring to Fig. 9 and recalling that the selected controlmagnets I30, I3I and I32 are energized upon a change in group control it will be seen from Fig. 4 that each of these magnets is adapted to withdraw its core I51 to rock an arm I08 which draws a pitman I69 downwardly. The latter carries a pin I63 fitting in a slot I10 of a related lever I55 to thus operate the same just as if a key I53 was depressed. Obviously a magnet is provided for each of the key levers I55.

From the timing diagram of Fig. 7 it will be seen that cam contacts L32 close when-cam contacts L-33 close and the latter remain closed for sometime after contacts L32 open. Cam contacts L33 in conjunction with relay contacts I351 provide a shuntcircuit across (Fig. 9) relay contacts 38g, UCIm, and contacts L32 to thereby retain the magnets I30, I3I, I32 energized until cam contacts L,33 open.

The circuit for the card selecting magnet I63 extends from the line side 34, through switch I36, to the magnet I63, to cam contacts L-3I and relay contacts I35c to the line side 35. From Fig. 7 it will be seen that cam contacts L.-3I' close prior to the time contacts'L33 open so that since the latter are closed to retain the selected magnets I30, I3I, I32 energized when cam contacts L--3I close to cause the energization of the card pulling magnet I63 the selector bars I50 will be held in their raised position so as to select the desired ledger card.

The machine stops at the end of the last item printing operation for a group and in order to'retain the selected ledger card elevated as shown in Fig. 5 there is preferably provided a stick circuit for the magnet I63 (Fig. 9) ex- .tending through its relay contacts I63a, cam contacts Pl2 now closed, to the line side 35.

The next machine operation is manually-initiated total taking and reset operation which preferably. prints" the total by means fully explained and disclosed in the aforementioned Pat-. ent No. 1,976,617 upon the ledger card upon which the items or amounts pertaining to the group have been printed. The printing mechanism is, of course, provided with a line spacing mechanism for spacing the items and totals of a form well known in the art and fully described in the Patent "No. 1,976,617. The completely printed ledger card is now withdrawn and the next ledger card which has been selected is withdrawn from the file after the total taking and reset operation. a

The camcontacts P-I2 open during the total, taking and reset operation to open the circuit through the stick contacts um and thus deenergize magnet I63. While the latter no longer attracts the steel piece I6I attached to the selected ledger card'the latter will by friction between it and adjacent ledger cards remain in shifted position. This selected ledger card corresponds to the'next group of tabulating cards and is presented to the platen before the tabulating operations are resumed.

During the total taking and reset operation cam contacts P- -I3 close to energize a magnet I1I, the latter being in series with camcontacts P-I3 and lower card lever contacts LCLm and across the line wires 34, 351 .When the magnet I1I is energized it will rotate its armature I12 (Fig. 3) and a shaft I13 attached thereto. The shaft I13, as described in Patent No. 2,002,803

4 related magnets is provided with a bar I14 (Fig. 4) extending transversely and adapted to engage the forward ends of the selector bars I50 and move said bars downwardly and rearwardly to restore the selector bars to a position in readiness for repeating the selecting operations, and such return movement of the selector bars causes the levers I55 to be raised to the operating position.

The operation of the machine may now be resumed and by depressing the start key ST tabulating operations in connection with the next group of cards is effected.

It will be observed that if the last group contains but a single card it will cause the automatic selection of a correlated ledger card by reason of the fact that cam contacts L32 close before the passage of the card at the upper brushes passes card lever 58 to deenergize magnet UCL and open its relay contacts UCIm. Hence the circuit to magnet I35 will be closed, as previously described, and the selected magnets I30, I3 I, and I32 will be energized to select a ledger card appropriate to the card of the last group, even if it comprises a single card.

Also in starting up operations the proper ledger card is selected as follows: During the first card analyzing cycle as the first card traverses the upper brushes UB there is no energization of magnets 88 because the circuit to the lower brush contact roll 98 is open through the lower card lever contacts 59. Accordingly, when cam contacts LI0 open, the relay 38 becomes deenergized and contacts 38g reclose. A pick-up circuit for magnet I35 is then completed upon closure of cam contacts 1r32,.UCLm contacts now being closed. In the previously described manner relay contacts I35a close to cause the selected relays I21 to cause the selection of the "0-432. Subsequent opera tions then follow exactly as before.

While the term ledger card is employed herein it is the desire to define this term in a generic sense since it may be an equivalent article'such as a perforated record, a bill, a paper strip, etc. While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification,

it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in theform and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art claims.

What is claimed is as follows: 1."In a tabulating machine controlled by tabulating cards having various classifications occurring in or out of sequence, means controlled by the tabulating. cards for printing classified items represented thereby upon a ledger card similarly classified, and means dependent upon a change in classification of the items for selecting out of a file of ledger cards a ledger card having a classification appropriate to the items of the next classification.

2. In a. tabulating machine controlled by classified groups of tabulating cards, a printing mechanism controlled thereby for printing items upon a classified record selected from a file of classified records, and means controlled by said groups of tabulating cards and esponsive to a change in groupclassiflcations for selecting said records of classifications which agree with the classifications of the groups of tabulating cards.

I 2,101,040 a. In an automatically controlled tabulating machine controlled by successive groups of classified tabulating cards arranged in a promiscuous sequence, means for printing the data on a group of tabulating cards on a classified record, means for automatically continuing the printing operations on the record as long as the classification of tabulating cards does not change, means for selecting said classified records out of a file, and means dependent upon a change in classification of the tabulating cards for automatically causing said selecting means to select a record card having a classification which is in agreement with the classification of the next group of tabulating cards.

4. In a tabulating machine controlled by class- 1 ified groups of tabulating cards occurring in a promiscuous sequence, a file of ledger cards means controlled by said tabulating cards for printing data designated thereon on a selected ledger card, means for selecting the ledger cards out of a file, means dependent upon a change in classification oi the tabulating cards for inhibiting further operations of said printing as means, and means dependent upon a'change in classification or the tabulating cards for causing said selecting means to select a ledger card correlated with the next group of tabulating cards.

5. A machine of the class described controlled by a plurality'ot differently classified means each for representing an item and the classification of the item, means controlled by said representing means for printing the item upon a classified record which is selected according to the classification of the item from a file of said classified records, and means responsive to the change in classification of said first-named means for selecting out of the file of said records a single record having a classification in agreement with the classification or the item to be printed there- 6. In a tabulating machine controlled by differently classified groups of tabulating cards, a printing mechanism for printing data represented by the groups oi! tabulating cards, a series of classified ledger cards arranged in a file each of which is manually presented to the printing mechanism for receiving data printed under control of a correlated group of tabulating cards, selecting means for said ledger cards, and means controlled by said tabulating cards and responsive to a change in classification of the groups for picking out of the filea single ledger card having a classification correlated with the next group for its subsequent manual presentation to said printing mechanism. a

7. A tabulating machine controlled by classified groups of tabulating cards and including JOSEPH 'r. WILSON. 

